Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-02-25
SUING THE " NEWS.
Deputy Marshal Thompson Enters Suit
for Libel and Places His Dam.
ages ut $4,000.
The Papers Served Late Yesterday
afternoon Upon City Editor
Lambert by Deputy Pratt.
The LIbelOus Articles Upon Which the
Case is Based-SOme Evidence
in Black and White.

Yesterday morning il was LEARNED that
Deputy Marshal Thompson, who recently
shot f.. NJ Dalton ut Parowan, had en-
tered suit for $25, 900 against the DeSeret
NeWs Publishing Company, of this city,
for libel. As the summons had not been
, served, the matter was kept quiet. At
about > O'Clock last evening Deputy
Pratt proceeded to the sanctum Of
the NciCS and in the absence of bigger
gun, the summons was served upon
Lambert, the ex-convict city editor OF the
paper. The service was acknowledged
and the officer departed.
The suit is founded upon the following
statements made in the Ne,yS after
Thompson had been acquitted OF the
murder of Dalton:
"The shameful proceedings in the
sham trial OF William Thompson, who
killed Edward NJ. Dalton at Parowan
without provocation and without excuse,
came to the expected conclusion on Satur-
day at Beaver. Thompson was acquitted
and the red-handed murderer goes I'M
punished.
at was not believed by the public that
there was any intention to bring the
slayer of +. NJ. Dalton to justice. Every
step in the pretended prosecution gave
evidence to the contrary. When his case
was handed over to the grand jury,
whom the defendant had selected and
the majority OF whom went out to take
him from the officers who had arrested
him, it was understood that the purpose
was to let the assassin 20 free. The in
dictment for simple manslaughter, when
the testimony proved deliberate and
malicious intent to kill, indicated that
the proceedings were to be a mere pre-
tense"
"The murdered man was Mormon );
his assassin Gentle Need any more
be said? Yes, there is another feature
in the tragedy that needs pointing out
The murderer was deputy marshal, and
his victim was charged with infraction Of
the third section OF the Edmunds law
The impression sought to be conveyed is
that deputy marshal has the right tC
shoot and kill Mormon whom he sup
poses or pretend 10 suppose is attempt
ing to avoid o. 5Gape from arrest. The
claim is falls in direct conflict with
law and precedent"
1--WE will not stop to discuss the ques
ton whether Dalton was fleeing from
justice or rcs.-Jins arrest, though the evil
dence was clearly to the contrary, MOI
whether the shooting of the person to be
arrested was necessarily consummated
though the entire testimony showed thai
it was not" meaning and intending
thereby that the plaintiff had shot anC
killed the said Dalton without authority
and necessity, and without justification
H.
"TEa spurious subterfuge then, OF
which Thompson's ielonious act was
claimed TO be justifable, disappears il
the light OF the law and nothing remains
but n transparent endeavor to save s
blood-staned criminal from the lega
consequences OF his cowardly deed"
Thompson has been acquitted by on,
tribunal, but there is another which pro
nounces a different judgment. Before
the bar OF the public he stands convicted
on flood OF direct evidence OF the crime
OF willful, deliberate and cowardly muir
der. The blood OF innocence stains hi:
soul. No sophistry or pettifogging viii
take it away, and no lying verdict will
blot it out. 1t will show up red and CORY
through all the official and judicial white
wash that may be applied. The SOUND
OF that murderous bullet will ring in his
ears, and the dying looks OF his victim
will not pass from his vision through life
The brand OF Cain is upon mis- brow, anC
it is recorded on high he has shed limo
cent blood
"There is still another tribunal before
which William Thompson will yet stand
arraigned. The eternal Judge will be
there to do unainching justice, the vic
tim will be present to confront the slayer
No special plea OF legal apologies will
avail, The bare and awful truth will
strike conviction, and the murderer's
doom will await the guilty, and when the
assassin set free on earth is viewed with
horror by the Just, spatterings Of the
blood with which he is dyed will be
found upon the skirts OF those whose
duty it was to bring him to his right de-
serts, but who partook of the crime by
palliating the deed.
Thompson should not be molested :;
vengeance will come in its time from the
hand that will surely repay. But hence
forth, in the eyes Of all fair-minded men,
wherever his course is known, he will
bear upon his brow the blisterlng marks
OF the crouching and cold-blooded muir
derer."